What are opioids and how do they work?

Opioids, sometimes called narcotics, are medications that are prescribed to treat persistent or severe pain and are used mainly by patients recovering from surgery or serious injuries and cancer patients with severe pain. Opioids attach to opioid receptors on nerve cells in different parts of the body, like the brain or spinal cord. In doing so, opioids block out pain messages traveling to the brain. There are many different types of prescribed opioids, including codeine, morphine or heroin. Opioids can be taken as pills, lollipops, injections or patches.

In 2010 there were a huge number of deaths from heroin abuse. When the medical community started to realize the dangers of opioids, prescription opioids were made harder to get. Because of this, people started to use heroin— which was cheap, illegal and readily available.

I spoke with Dr. Farha Abassi, an assistant professor in the Psychiatry Department here at Michigan State University. Dr. Abassi explained to me that opioids have no role in the long term treatment of nonmalignant pain: “When you take opioids, your reward system gets activated. You feel high and euphoric. But, your pain worsens in withdrawal. In the past, people were usually dying because of heroin and meth use. But now, it’s fentanyl use, which is a narcotic.”

I asked Dr. Abassi how she advises college students who are struggling with addiction, not only to opioids but in general. “Know there shouldn’t be any judgment.Addiction is a disease. You’re not a bad person or that something is wrong with you.” She explained to me that students who misuse drugs are often trying to self treat some underlying cause, such as a mental health issue like depression or anxiety. If you’re in pain, you’re just going to make your pain worse by using the drug you’re addicted to. “It’s easier to get drugs than it is to get into rehab and get clean,” Dr. Abassi stated. “If it’s easier for you to access drugs, that’s when you need help. It’s harder for you to accept mental health treatment.” She likens this example to addiction: “If you had cancer, what would you do? You’re going to go to chemotherapy. You’re not going to smoke or drink.”

Dr. Abassi advises students to reach out and get the help that they need. Here at Michigan State, we have an amazing resource — Olin Health Center. Dr. Abassi, who is also a staff psychiatrist at Olin, speaks very highly of it as well. “They work so hard to deliver the best care possible to our students. There are solutions to mental health issues.”

If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction, please don’t hesitate to get help.